Clam Digging at Katmai Wilderness Lodge

Historic Clamming Beds

Clamming on the Shelikof Strait coast began in 1923 when Hemrich Packing Company, Inc. began operations. The company's cannery was located at Kukak Bay, but the clamming beds were at "Swikshak Beach". (Later it became known locally as "Swishak"). .Either Hemrich or one of its lessees operated the combination clam/salmon cannery until 1932. No commercial clamming took place along the coastline during 1933 and 1934. Surf Canneries then purchased Hemrich's facilities and operated them through the 1936 season.

The clamming facilities, and most of the clam beds, were located outside the original (1918) boundaries of the monument. When Katmai's boundaries were expanded in April 1931, both the canneries and the clamming beaches were absorbed into the monument. Because of an oversight, the language of the 1931 proclamation did not specifically address the rights of existing users. It was not until the mid-1930s that clamming interests discovered the error; a June 1936 presidential proclamation was issued that recognized the rights of all those who had used the land prior to the boundary expansion. The company's operations, however, were shut down in September 1936 when a fire swept through and destroyed the Swishak Bay cannery. The company made no further attempts to patent its properties, and appears to have abandoned its interests at both Kukak and Swishak soon afterwards. By 1941, fire had destroyed the Kukak Bay cannery as well, and both the wharf and pilings were found to be
"in a bad state of repair."